Frank Vogel Says He Meant No Disrespect to LeBron James and Miami Heat

After the media used his words to fire up LeBron James, Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel quickly and wisely moved into damage control mode prior to the start of the Eastern Conference Finals. Vogel says he didn’t mean to disrespect LeBron’s team. Per the Indiana Pacers’ website and the Miami Herald: “With the news in the sports world yesterday of LeBron James taking exception to Pacers head coach Vogel’s alleged ‘just another team’ quote in reference to the Miami Heat, Coach Vogel responded (Monday) morning. ‘Sorry sports world, the words ‘just another team’ never came out of my mouth,’ he said. ‘Great respect for LBJ and the champs. Looking forward to [a] great series.’ […] Vogel then made the rounds on South Florida radio stations WQAM and 790 The Ticket to address the issue further. ‘There’s no lack of respect there, and I think it was just a quote taken out of context,’ Vogel said told WQAM. Said Vogel to 790 The Ticket: ‘They’re the defending champs, and they’re better this year than they were last year. No, they’re not just another team.'”